Match Preview: Atlanta United vs. D.C. United

Atlanta United opens the 2019 MLS season on Sunday, as it travels to face D.C. United at Audi Field. The match is scheduled to kick-off at 6 p.m. EST and will be nationally televised on ESPN.

Atlanta begins its third season and MLS Cup title defense at D.C. United, who finished fourth in the Eastern Conference in 2018. Atlanta set an MLS record for road wins in a season a year ago with 10, matching a league record with 32 points away from home, however the club has yet to win a game in D.C. in three combined attempts at RFK Stadium and Audi Field. All three matches in 2018 ended 3-1 in favor of the home side, with Atlanta winning a pair at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and D.C. United claiming a win in September at newly opened Audi Field.

On Thursday, Atlanta defeated CS Herediano 4-0 (5-3 aggregate) to advance to the quarterfinals of the Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League, where it will face Mexican side CF Monterrey on March 6 and 13. Trailing 3-1 after the first leg, Josef Martinez scored the fastest goal in Atlanta history after just 47 seconds, and added another goal in the second half for his 14th multi-goal game with the club. Julian Gressel scored his second goal of the tournament in the ninth minute and Leandro González Pirez headed home an Ezequiel Barco cross in the 83rd minute to make it 4-0.